WEBVTT

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Why do you believe Gene
Roddenberry's legacy,

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his philosophy, endures 55 years later

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and across 10 series?

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Let's start with Levar because Rod has

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a I'm thinking look on his face.

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[participants chuckling]

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I think it has everything
to do with the storytelling,

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the compelling characters,
and the idea that

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we are, as a species,
really in our infancy.

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Right?

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[Wil] Yeah.

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- And I think that the,
part of the enduring nature

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of Trek is that in popular culture,

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it has been, is, and continues to be

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an incredibly positive
view of our future selves.

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In a world that gets more
dystopian by the day,

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the value of Trek increases
exponentially every year.

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[Wil] Yeah.

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[audience applauding]

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Gates?

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I second that and I think
though that I'm gonna give

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all the credit to Gene
Roddenberry's grandmother

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because I didn't understand Star Trek

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when I started, at all.

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I didn't understand the fans,
I didn't understand any of it,

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but I do now.

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I have spent years getting to know fans,

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getting to know, reading
interviews that Gene did

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years and years ago.

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And I now have, in his own
words, heard about his vision

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and it's extraordinary
that somebody would have

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a vision like he had that was optimistic,

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that really helps us all
to think about issues,

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not just judge them but actually listen.

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And he said in an interview,
one of his first ones

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that I ever read, I don't know,

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it wasn't his first one, I'm sure,

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but he said, "I think I owe a lot

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to my grandmother because
she's the one who told me

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to believe in myself and
to believe in humanity

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that they could learn and get better,

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and that you have to be patient."

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And I know that I can
speak from my own personal,

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personal experience with the show.

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I have evolved, I have
changed as a human being

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because I've learned about Gene's vision

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and I've learned about how
amazing it is with fans

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and how the fans need role
models, how I need role models.

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And I appreciate very much
being part of this whole legacy.

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It's a very moving thing for me

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which I didn't understand
in the beginning.

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But I do now, I'm very grateful.

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[audience applauding]